The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-02-10
A WONDERFUL LAKE.
Situated on the Summit of
the Rocky Mountains.
A Beautiful Sheet of Water with Some
Unique Surroundings.


Idaho and Montana, on the Targcc's
Pass trail. 1t is destined to be popular
summer resort, and the soil and climate
are not uniavorablc to the prospect of
permanent settlement. The lake is five
miles wide and ten miles long. 1t is
the source of the north fork of Snake
river. Like basin ovcrtlowing the
clear water ripples over bar that forms
the bim-a bar of crumbled chrystallinc
quarz-in a gursling stream that flows
peacefully through waving grass for half
a mile, and then p.unges into canon
where it is lashed into foam AMI leaps
over precipices on its way down from
that continental divide as it grows to be
a great river. After a journey of 100
miles over rocky heights and through
mountain dcfilcs we reached the lake.
Men and horses were tired and hungry.
The mild beauty of the smooth w,,ter,
level meadows and shaded parks all
smiling with the evening sunlight was a
happy relief. The buc grass was varic-
gated with wild flowers, birds were sing
ing il the trees. swans were swimming
on the lake. Before us was the winter
range of the antelope, the deer and elk.
A party of trappers who spent one win
ter there say the elk came down like
herds of cattle and destroyed their hay.
They were compelled to drive great
drovcs Of elk away to save any grass or
other feed for their plckhorsns.
One Of the woudcrs of Hcnrys Like is
the floating island. When we campcd
at night Il lovely island was within a
stones throw of us. We decided to cx-
plore it in the morning. The soft green
carpet, the arooping willows and stiff
little pines, so near the shining surface
Of the cool blue water. filed us with Il
desire to rest in their shale. When
morning came the island was gone.
Five miles away we cou d SEQ the little
trees waving in the wind that had watt
ed them to the opposite side Of the
lake. The wind changed, how
ever, and the mysterious island
came on its daily orbit ald rested, while
all nature was hushcd, that lovely
afternoon, near where we had first seen
it. We padded raft of logs to its
border. 1t was circular in shape and
800 feet in diameter. The outer edge
was tough sward, and so thin that it
gave down under the weight of man
and let him into the water boot-top
deep. A few feet from the edge it
would support the weight of a horse.
The floating mass we found to be mat
of grass roots ovcrspread with thin
layer Of decaycd vegetable matter. The
small trees had taken root in that
blanket of mold. They rocked and
swaycd from side TO side as we walked
around them.
Another curiosity near the lake is
what is called Moose Springs. From the
mouth of a cave in the side of q bluff
bursts forth river Of considerable size.
The sparkling water after secthing and
roaring under the weight of great pres
sure or other hidden forces, spreads out
over rocky bed of Slistcning quartz 40
fee: wide, and leaps from ledge to
ledge, down the prccipitous
nights. Thousands of noun
tain trout are continuity trying to stem
that tumbling torrent. They can be
seen tlouncing in the air from morning
till night in their effort to gain the un-
dersround river, after following the tu
multuous Snake to the summit of the
great watershed of the continent. In
dians catch and pack away from that
place tons of trout every year. When
we visited the fishing ground a hungry
nomadic tribe Of dusky natives, after
weary days Of travel, were arranging
camp and looking happy over the pros
pcct of sumptuous m al They were
10 feast on fl h that were yet uncaught
After lighting the log fires the fish.
ermcn repaired to the foot of the steep
inclin. by the ru,hing outlet Of the sub
terrancan river Eich man cut slender
rod and shaped the end of it to fit loose
ly the hollow end OF buckhorn spear
tip. A strong cord attached the zip to
the rod or shaft to the spear A mnscu-
lar brave wouil sep forward, a brawny
bare arm would raise the s;mp,c implc-
mcnt above his head, whcrs it would
balance for a second, anI then like an
Grrow it would BE- hurled into the water
with sure aim; a trout would
cash his spcchlcd sides in the
sun, the blood would flow in a
red c'oud down the stream, and a
| u0c 1Sn WOu.u DC lauiCu ou Tue green
sward. The buckhoru tip would pas
through the body and slip from the haft
as it was pulled back. The cord faster
ing the tip to the rod would hold the
fish, let him fl under as he would. After
catching about ten pounds for each men,
Der of the company they proceeded to
cook the evening meal in manner as
simple as it was strange. Large quanti-
ties of soft clay were dug from the bank
and kneaded to the consistency of dough,
and each fish was separately incased in a
coating about an inch thick and thrown
into the fire to bake. Tney were cooked
without dressing. Som, of them were
gasp.ng for breath as they were besmircd
with clay. The case soon hardened in
.he frs like brick in n kla. The Gil
sized and sputtcred through the seams
Experts watched closely and when the
perfect crcmatic state was reached the
fish were withdrawn from the bed Of